The Heart of the Truest Believer
by Nameless Rose
Summary: It just had to be her heart he had take... literally. Yet, looking back at it, she wouldn't do it differently, because she knew that everything they had both done had brought them together in the end, even if that end was terrifyingly gruesome. Panx(O)OC, Starts in season 1.
1. Intro: What is this story about?

**Summary:**

It just had to be her heart he had take... literally. Yet, looking back at it, she wouldn't do it differently, because she knew that everything they had both done had brought them together in the end, even if that end was terrifyingly gruesome. Panx(O)OC, Starts in season 1.

**Authors Note:**

Yay! Once Upon a Time!

Please, try to bear with me. I know the beginning goes slow and it doesn't look very interesting yet, but I'm trying to keep as close to the show as possible. I don't want to ruin it...

Hope you guys'll enjoy?

Please R&R!

**Black Out –**

**The Heart of the Truest Believer**

"_Don't say goodbye, because saying goodbye means going away, and going away means forgetting."_

J.M. Barrie.

**Black Out –**

_**Ten years ago...**_

She lay in the hospital room, screaming her voice hoarse as she fought to push her child out of her.

As the lights flickered, she finally heard the cry of her young baby and smiled, knowing she'd done it. She could hear the doctor cut the child loose and then he walked towards her, presenting the baby.

"It's a girl, Emma."

Emma smiled, but looked away with tears in her eyes.

"Do you not wish to see her?"

"Doctor..." the police officer in the corner said. "She's giving it up."

Emma wanted to correct the woman, say that this baby was not an 'it' but that she was, in fact, a beautiful baby girl. She did not.

The doctor looked at her; "Emma, just so you know: You can change your mind."

Emma looked at the small baby for a few seconds, smiling at it and saying: "She's beautiful." The doctor smiled back, but the smile disappeared when Emma announced: "... but I can't take care of her. I can't be a mother."

As they took her child away, Emma cried.

In another land, a teenager stood in front of a mirror and watched the scene, and while he would never admit so; he cried with her.

**Black Out –**

Once Upon a time

There was an enchanted forest filled with all the classic characters we know.

Or think we know.

One day they found themselves trapped in a place where all their happy endings were stolen.

Our World.

This is how it happened...

**Black Out –**

The prince felt as if his horse could not get him to his destination fast enough. As he rode on the abandoned road, past the water, his mind was locked on only one thing: He needed to get to his love, and he needed to do it fast.

As he past the forest line and got in the woods deeper and deeper, he could almost feel the desperation wash over him: it was as if he had already lost her, yet he knew this could not be true.

"You are too late." one of the dwarfs said those feared words as he left his horse and walked towards where he could just _feel _his love was waiting for him. The dwarf stepped aside, showing him a glass coffin with in it the sight of his beloved, dead.

"No..." he felt himself gasp, "No!" he then yelled out with all his anger, running towards her. "Just... just let me kiss her, once more."

"It's too late, she is gone, you're highness." the dwarf he knew to be Grumpy said, shaking his head.

"I ordered you to open it, it was no request."

The dwarfs stared at him in anger, but did as they where requested, knowing the prince, out of all of them, would be grieving the most.

As the prince bowed down to his princess, bringing his lips to hers, he could feel a wave of energy convulse him. And then, as he pulled away and she gasped, a shock of magic pushed troughout the land, bringing light to the darkness.

She stared up at him, smiling. "You... You found me."

He smiled back at her, leaning down once more. "Did you ever doubt I would?"

"To be honest, the glass coffin gave me a pause." She sat up then, and he brushed her hair out of her face.

"Well, you never have to worry again because I will always find you."

She leaned her forehead against his: "Do you promise?"

"I do." Where the words he spoke to her on the wedding, and as the same question was asked of her, she spoke with no hesitation and said that yes, she would love this man for all eternity and give her life for him, if needed.

"Then I now pronounce you husband and wife." they where told.

And then, as they leaned in to kiss...

"Sorry I'm late."

The doors of the ballroom swung open and many turned to stare, screams echoing as they all saw the one woman they feared most, quickly walking towards the newlyweds.

"It's the evil queen, run!" one of the dwarfs, Doc, said.

Snow would have none of that, grabbing her husbands sword and holding it out to her stepmother as she spoke: "She's not a queen anymore, she is nothing but an evil witch."

He husband gently removed the sword from her hand and said: "No, my love, there is no need for that. We will not drop to her level." Then he said, to the queen: "You are wasting you're time, dear mother-in-law. You have already lost. And I will not let you ruin this wedding."

"Oh, I haven't come here to ruin anything." The woman said nicely, "On the contrary: I've come to give you a gift."

"We want nothing from you." Snow said strongly.

"But you shall have it." Said the queen, turning towards the people. "My gift to you, to all of you, is this happy day. Yet, tomorrow my real work begins. You have made your vows and now I will make mine, mark my words, my dear Snow White:" she turned towards the princess, "Soon, everything you love will be taken from you, forever. Out of your suffering my victory will rise. I _will _destroy your happiness. If it is the last thing I do."

She then turned to make her leave, but the prince had had enough of her empty threats.

"Hey!" He yelled, and just as she turned around to address him, he threw his sword.

Just before it would kill her, she disappeared in a cloud of smoke, taking the sword with her.

Needless to say, she had not been killed.

**Black Out –**

A young girl with long brown hair and sparkling hazel eyes stared down at her book as she read that last line, shivering at the thought of the evil queen. Yet, she was not scared because of the story, but because she knew the very woman in this story was the woman who had raised her to be a _good little girl_.

How someone with such an evil mind could pull something like that off was beyond her, but her thoughts about it where interrupted as a woman sitting next to her nudged her and asked: "Is that a good book?"

"It's more than just a book." The ten year old muttered, and the elder woman smiled.

A little later, as she got off the bus, she did not know where to go. Yet, as she approached a cab, the man rolled down the window and asked; "Aren't you a little young to be out this late alone?"

"No." she said, "And do you take credit cards?"

He looked her over and then shrugged, "Sure, where to?"

**Black Out –**

Emma Swan did not like the pink dress she'd wormed herself into, and she did not like her stilettos. Yet, she knew she looked good; it just didn't mean she _liked _looking good.

She had been hunting Ryan Marlow for about three weeks now, since he'd emptied his family's bank account and fled New York, embezzlement charges hanging over his head. Why he had stopped in Boston for some online dating, she did not know, but she did not care for it all that much.

Her job was to catch him, not to know why he did the things he did, she left that for the judge.

As she caught his gaze, she smiled uncomfortably and walked towards him, sensing his relief. She guessed she could relate to that, having tried online dating once, she knew the small moment of being scared what you're date would look like.

"Emma." he stated, as if he had her figured out in one glance. He did not sound nervous in the least: in fact, he sounded quite cocky.

She faked unsureness as she asked: "Ryan? You look really..."

"Oh well, it _is _the Internet." he admitted, helping her into her seat. "Picture's can be,-"

"Fake, outdated... stolen from a Victoria's secret catalog."

He stared at her at that, and smiled. "Indeed... tell me something about yourself."

She faked a second of thought, and then smiled: "Well, today is my birthday."

"And you're spending it with me?" he asked, honestly sounding surprised (and was that guilt she saw in his eyes) "...what about your friends?"

She shrugged, "Well, I'm kind of a loner."

"Family, then?"

"Don't have one."

He seemed shocked: "Everyone has a family."

"Technically, yes." He nodded, "but not everyone knows who they are..." she sighed, "ready to run yet?"

"Oh no, Emma." He smiled deviously, "you are by far, the sexiest loner orphan that I have ever met."

"Well thank you!" Emma faked a smile, twirling her blond hair. "Your turn... no wait let me guess!" She took a sip of her wine and then said: "You are... handsome." Marlow grinned, "the kind of guy who would, and correct me if I'm wrong," she let a pause fall as if to let somethings kind in and then continued: "Got fired, attacked your employer, got arrested and then skipped town before they could throw your ass in jail."

His smile got wiped off his face.

"And the worst part is your wife. She loves you so much that she bailed you out and how do you repay that love? By going on a date."

"Who are you?" Marlow asked.

"The chick who put up the rest of the money." Emma said smugly.

"You're a bail bondsman?"

"Bail bondsperson." she corrected.

He grinned.

He then proceeded in throwing the table to the side, and she jumped up and onto her chair just in time to avoid any wine pouring onto her. She rolled her eyes as he ran away and stepped down, walking after him on a normal pace.

She left the building and rolled her eyes as she saw him struggle with his car, passing the road without looking to either side. She stopped next to him and flipped her hair to the side, smiling at him.

"I can pay you." He told her, "I have money."

"No you don't." she corrected, "and even if you did you should give it to your wife and take care of your family."

He rolled his eyes, "Like you know anything about family."

She frowned, thinking about a little baby girl she had given up years ago. She'd done what was best for that kid: she liked to believe she did all right.

She bumped Marlow's head into his front wheel, making him pass out, and said: "A lot more than you, apparently."

**Black Out –**

Her apartment wasn't much, just a small living room/kitchen and a bathroom. She slept in the living room on a pull out couch. She had no bed, since she would most likely leave in a few weeks again, anyway.

She took of her high heels and walked towards the kitchen block, putting down the few groceries she had purchased for her own birthday. She then proceeded in removing the cupcake she had bought from it's box and putting on it a simple candle, which she lit.

She looked at it and smiled sadly, thinking about the little girl that was out there somewhere. Thinking about her earlier today had made her sad, but now she could not stop.

"Another better year." she told herself before blowing out the small candle, thinking one single thing: _I wish I wouldn't have to be alone on my birthday._

The bell rang, and she opened her eyes, staring at the cupcake in disbelief.

She made her way to the front door then, opening it but seeing no one until she looked down.

A little girl stood on her doorstep, staring up at her with a smile. She had a pale skin, hazel eyes and long brown hair that was braided to the side. She wore a nice, light blue dress and a dark blue coat on top of that. Emma had a brief flash of recognition, a quick 'I-am-looking-in-the-mirror-right-now' feeling.

"Uh..." she said, and then regained herself: "Can I help you?"

"Are you Emma Swan?" asked the girl, twirling the bottom of her braid with her left hand.

"Yeah," Emma mumbled, feeling realization dawn on her. "Who... who are you?"

The girl smiled, "My name is Henrietta Mills. I'm your daughter."

Despite having expected it, Emma gasped.

**Black Out –**

In another world, a teenager stood in front of a large mirror, a smirk on his face. He looked highly amused at the events that had just occurred and did not seem to fear the outcome he knew this would have.

"Pan."

Peter Pan turned around to look at the shadow with glowing eyes, and simply raised one eyebrow. "What,"

"Now that we have found her, what do you wish to do?"

The teenager rolled his eyes and looked back at the mirror as he saw Henrietta Mills, waiting for the door to be opened, at the moment it did and Emma Swan looked down at her biological daughter, Pan spoke: "She is too young now, she does not yet know about 'boys' and 'love' and all that fake stuff." He shrugged.

"But we need her heart! We need,-"

"The heart of the truest believer, I know." Peter agreed, "But not yet, we have to give her a tad more of time." He held out his hand and touched the mirror. He did not turn around to hide the care that had come upon his face, but his voice was still his same old, venom-filled voice as he announced: "A few more years, Henrietta 'Henry' Mills... A few more years, and your heart shall be mine."


	2. Episode 1: Evening shadows

**Authors Note:**

Since not a lot changes in the first two seasons (except for Henry being Henrietta), I'm only going to be describing the episodes that actually matter for the course of the story. Most of the background stories don't change either, but when they do I will describe them (that's what the prologue was mostly for, as an Intro and to show you that not a lot changes). If people don't like it this way I will think about filling in the blanks at some point, but I think it's kind of unnecessary to re-write every single story of the show when you already know them.

Hope you enjoy this chapter! The episode this takes place in is 'That still Small voice'.

Please R&R!

**Black Out –**

_**Four years ago...**_

The bedroom of the six-year-old was silent as she slept, dreaming about things unknown to the boy watching her. He could barely resist the urge to lean forward and touch her hair, but he did not, knowing she would wake up because of it.

The lost boys did not know he came here every night, and his shadow most certainly didn't. They thought they hadn't even found her yet, and Pan wanted it that way: Them knowing where she was would endanger her.

Pan could not explain it, nor would he even try to do so, but he cared for the young girl, he'd cared for her since the very moment she'd been born; as if something powerful drew him to her. He would not admit this to anyone, however, since that would mean admitting that somewhere deep down in that twisted black heart of his, he knew how to love.

That would ruin everything he had worked so hard for.

No, he would wait until she was old enough to love a boy, and he would make her _his_. The lost boys would all think he would be playing his twisted little game with her, but it wouldn't be a game to him.

He loved games, but not when it came to her. When it came to her, he simply just loved being in her presence.

Even now, when she didn't realize he was there.

Henrietta rolled around in her sleep, muttering something he couldn't understand. Yet, when she smiled, he did, too.

**Black Out –**

There is a town in Maine, where every storybook character you've ever known is trapped between two worlds.

Only one knows the truth, and only one can break the spell.

**The Heart of the Truest Believer**

"_Don't say goodbye, because saying goodbye means going away, and going away means forgetting."_

J.M. Barrie.

**Black Out –**

"You know, you weren't always a cricket." Henrietta told her counselor, Dr. Hopper, after he'd finished writing something she had said, down.

"I weren't always...?" He paused, "Oh right, because you think I'm Jimminy Cricket." He mumbled, putting away his papers and then looking at her with a smile. "Why do you... think that?"

"I guess..." The almost eleven-year-old bit her bottom lip and then said; "I guess it's just because of who you are."

"And who am I?" Hopper asked, he, bending forward slightly. That was what Henrietta liked about the man: He didn't think she was crazy, he was actually interested in hearing what she had to say, even though she still knew he didn't _really_ believe her.

"Well for starters..." She announced, "You help people see right from wrong."

"So all of the crickets in Storybrooke, they where once people, too?" Hopper asked, twirling his hands together.

Henrietta stood, twirling her brown hair. It was loose today, and framed her small face nicely. She wore a gray dress her mother, Regina that is, had bought for her and flip-flops, even though summer was ending.

"There aren't really any crickets here." She said, walking over to the window and opening it, "Listen."

It was night-time, and Henrietta had that same, familiar feeling of being watched that she had every evening for as long as she could remember. It hadn't bothered her for a long time, but it was one of the reasons Regina had first send her to talk to Dr. Hopper.

Archie Hopper listened, and concluded that the young girl was right, it was indeed completely silent except for a single owl. No crickets.

"There's never been crickets here, either." Henrietta said as she walked back to the chair and sat down, "you've just never noticed."

"So you think that that's proof that there's a curse?" Archie asked her, pushing his glasses further up his nose.

"Yes, but I know it's not enough." the girl nodded, smiling."I'm looking for more."

"Okay Henry, I asked you this once before and you said you'd think about it. It was the book and the 'feeling' of being watched that made you decide that there was a curse in the first place, correct?"

"Yes." Henry grinned,

"Why do you think it's so important that this is real?"

Henrietta stared down at her hand, feeling herself shiver as the window suddenly closed with a slam. Archie didn't seem to notice, probably thinking of it as 'just the wind'. She knew better, whatever watched her had just come _in_.

She felt like crying: she didn't mind when it simply watched, she didn't like it when it was close to her.

"It just is." She could hear the desperation of her own voice, but didn't care to change her tone. "If it isn't real than..." she shook her head, "than that means I really _am_ crazy."

Archie sighed, shaking his head. "You are not crazy, Henrietta." He promised her, "You're just a girl that... that needs a way to escape the pain of her world." He then asked another question: "Why does being watched have anything to do with the curse?"

Henrietta looked at the shadows in the corner of the room, she could swear someone stood there, could almost see the pained look in their eyes. Yet, when she looked back and saw that Archie had followed her gaze, she could see in his confused gaze that he saw nothing, and could sense the question he was about to ask before he asked it.

"Henry, do you actually_ see _something when you look in the direction you feel you're being watched from?"

She did not answer, and instead answered his previous question: "It has everything to do with the curse, because I feel like he wouldn't be there if this all wasn't real, because if fairy tale's aren't real, he can't be real, either."

"Why are you so sure it's a he?"

"I just am."

Before he could ask anything else, the whole building started shaking. Archie fell to the ground harshly, and Henrietta's chair fell backwards. Yet, she did not fall harshly: something caught her and pushed he back up.

When she looked, there was nothing.

Archie hadn't seen a thing.

**Black Out –**

"People of Storybrooke, don't be alarmed." Henrietta heard her mother say as she walked towards the woman. "We've always known this area was unstable due to old mining tunnels, but fear not. I'm going to undertake a project to make this area safe. To rehabilitate it into city use." She sounded quite smug. "We will bulldoze it, collapse it... pave it."

"Pave it?!" The young girl yelled, running towards her mother. "What if there's something down there?!"

"What are you doing here?" Regina whispered to her daughter, though she was looking over her daughters shoulder at the shadow lingering behind Dr. Hopper. Was she seeing the things her daughter saw now? As she blinked, however, it was gone.

"What's down there?" Henrietta demanded of her.

"Nothing." She looked her daughter in the eye, "now step back. In fact... Everyone!" She looked up at the people and raised her voice, "Please step back! Thank you."

She suddenly bowed down, a frown on her face as she picked up a piece of glass. Henrietta watched her do this, but suddenly felt a chin as someone told her: "Your mother has quite the authority."

She turned around towards the one who had spoken quickly, and raised her eyebrow when she saw it was a teenager. The same uneasy feeling washed over her as when _it_ was close to her, and she stepped back. She could not see his features, as if he was hidden by shadows, but he was obviously there, and obviously talking to her.

"She's the evil,-"

"Henrietta, enough!" Her mother said, walking towards her and grabbing her arm. "Don't go talking to strangers." Regina then stared at the teenager, and narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?"

The teenager, still mostly hidden by the shadows, smirked, "No one you should concern yourself with, madam major. I will be gone by morning."

"Stay away from my daughter." Regina warned, and then looked at said girl. "And Henrietta, this is a safety issue, wait in the car."

Henrietta looked at the teenager once more, and then decided that for once, she wanted to do what her mother told her, "Yeah... bye uh... sir." She ran off.

"So, your majesty, you have found yourself a heir?"

Regina frowned at the teenager. "Who are you?"

"You'll find out, but for now you'll forget me."

And then he was gone.

And just like that, Regina blinked a few times, wondering what she'd been doing this last minute.

Henrietta, suddenly wondering the same thing, got out of the car again and gestured Archie over. Emma came towards them too, when she noticed, and Henrietta smiled. "This requires all of operation cobra." she explained, "both of you."

Archie smiled, "I didn't realize I was in on operation cobra."

Henrietta twirled her hair, "Well of course you are, you know all about it!" She then looked at Emma: "We can't let her do this, there's something down there."

"Kid, they're just some old tunnels..." Emma said.

"And it just happened to collapse right after you get here?" Henrietta crossed her arms, "You're weakening the curse, okay? What did you do today because something made this happen."

Emma seemed shocked, touching her new badge: She's accepted a job as deputy today, had started laying down roots.

"Henry." Henrietta felt her mother, Regina, put her hand on her shoulder. "I told you to wait in the car."

Henrietta did as she was told, but gave her mother a glare.

Nobody noticed the presence lingering behind her.

**Black Out –**

In the morning, Henrietta walked into Archie's office to find Marco there, and she smiled up at him. "Hello Marco!"

"Hello there, Henry. How are you today?"

"Fine." She obviously lied, seeming like she hadn't slept at all, but Marco didn't notice, he simply saluted Archie and left with a grin.

"Hey." Archie said as Marco closed the door, "you look tired."

"I couldn't sleep, I felt... uneasy." She shrugged, "It doesn't matter, I have a plan."

"Does it have to do with operation cobra?" Archie asked, pinching the bridge of his nose. Regina had come to him last night with an order he most certainly didn't want to follow, but he had to in order to keep his job. "Look girl, we need to talk about this okay?"

"I know you're not convinced," Henry stated, "but I know where I can get proof. I have gathered my things and I'm going into the mines to,-"

"No no no, Henry this _needs _to stop." Archie forced her to sit down. "It is dangerous down there and despite what you think, there is nothing down there. You'll risk dieing if you go down there."

"No I won't, for the last twenty-four hours the one following me has been protecting me, he,-"

"There is no one there, Henry!" Archie suddenly yelled. "All of this is a delusion, it's not real! I thought you would outgrow this but Henry... Henrietta, it's turning into a psychosis... that means you can no longer tell what's real." Archie sighed, "If this continues, they're going to have to lock you away. _You have to wake up_."

Henrietta stood, glaring at him. "If you don't believe me, than fine. I'll prove it."

She walked out of the room angrily.

She did not close the door, but it slammed close behind her. It took Archie a few seconds to realize that no windows where opened.

**Black Out –**

Henrietta tried hard not to cry as she knocked on the door of Emma and Mary Margaret's apartment, but failed. She'd just gone home at first, where she'd gone up to her room and talked to herself for about an hour, feeling as if she was really venting to someone else. When she still hadn't stopped crying, she'd backed Regina to drop her off at Emma's and for once, Regina had given in, knowing that right now it just was what her daughter needed.

The door opened, and Henrietta looked up at Emma, falling into her arms.

"What happened?" Emma asked, shocked.

**Black Out –**

After Emma dropped Henrietta off at Regina's office, she did not go inside. Instead, she made her way towards the mines. Now, she stood in front of them, determined: She couldn't lose a friend because he thought she was crazy, the kid's around her thought that enough already.

She needed proof.

She sighed, wiped away some more of her tears, and ran inside the tunnels, clicking on her flashlight.

**Black Out –**

Pan wondered if the boys had noticed his being gone. They probably hadn't and even if they had, he would find an excuse: He could not, however, go away now that he knew Henrietta was in danger. If anything, it was because he _needed _her to be alive if he was going to live forever.

So as she ran into the mines, he quietly followed her, making sure he stayed in the shadows.

Henrietta had turned to look at the shadows behind her multiple times already, and Pan had been almost caught a few times. Not that it mattered; he could easily wipe her memories, but he didn't want to have to do that. All he wanted right now was for her to be safe.

Henrietta saw some glittering a little ahead and walked towards it, picking it up. It was a piece of glass, or something that looked like glass. Part of a vase, maybe?

She looked up, scared, when the ceiling started too shake. She would have been buried alive, had it not been for the arms that grabbed her and dragged her away.

Feeling a chill go up her spine, she struggled against the arms that dragged her away, but when the shaking stopped and she was brought to safety, they simply turned her around and she stared up in a teenagers face.

"Are you okay?!"

"It's you." She realized, remembering him from last night once more (she had a feeling she had never really forgotten, it was as if clouds had simply hidden the memory from her until she would see him again).

"What have you gotten yourself into, girl." The teenager shook his head with a frown, brushing some dirt from her face.

"Who _are _you?" She asked.

"I'm,-"

"Henry?" Henrietta ripped her eyes away from his face, looking towards where the voice had come from.

"That's..." She looked back at the teen. "Did you follow me in here?"

"Well... yes."

"Why?"

"_Henry?!"_

Henrietta finally managed to rip herself from the teens grip, and she ran towards where the voice came from. Deciding he'd wipe her, and anyone else's if they saw him, memories later, he followed her.

"Archie!" Henrietta yelled as she saw the man. Recognizing him, Pan glared at him, staying close to the girl. "You're here to help me!"

"No, we need to get out of here... who's that?"

"I'm,-" Once again interrupted, oh, the joy of children.

"You still don't believe me? You'll see, you'll see!" Henrietta ran off.

"Wait, Henrietta!" Pan ran after her.

"Wait, kid's it's not safe!" Archie yelled after them.


	3. Episode 2: Evil minds with golden Hearts

**Authors Note:**

So, because I'm kind of sick and that makes me dead tired I can't go to school, which, lucky for you guys, means I have time to write! So you guys thank whatever weird power decided I had to become sick, because I'm missing important stuff at school, but at least you all can read, right?

Enjoy!

**Black Out –**

"Henry? Other kid?" Archie Hopper sighed and pushed trough a small hole between rocks, looking around. "You two around here?" He saw a light a little further, and walked towards it. "Kids?"

He sighed in relief when he saw them, but stopped short when he heard the conversation they where having, listening now that they hadn't noticed him yet.

"So who are you anyway?" Henrietta asked the teenager, "and uh... I promise I'll let you finish your sentence this time."

The teen smirked, leaning against the wall as Henrietta bowed down once more and looked trough a hole in the ground. "I'm Peter... Peter Pan."

Henrietta shot up, turning around to stare at him in shock. "It's... it's really real?! I'm not crazy! I knew it!"

"Aye, that you did, kid." Peter smiled, leaning toward her a little bit, "But let's keep that between us, okay? I can't have certain people knowing that I'm in town just yet, it would ruin a lot."

"Right... 'cause you're the bad guy." Henrietta stepped back. "You've been watching me haven't you?"

"Yes." He shrugged, "But I wouldn't hurt you, I kind of need you for something. You didn't promise me you wouldn't tell, I could make you forget this conversation, you know..."

"It's not like anyone would believe me if I said anything. And what'ya need me for?" Henrietta finally turned back and mumbled, as she looked down once again, "There's something shiny down there..."

"You'll find out after this whole curse thing is over, for now: How about being friends?"

Henrietta looked over her shoulder, "You... you won't hurt me?"

"Not right now I won't."

"Okay, Fine. That way I can figure out your plan."

Another one of those smirks: "Smart girl. I look forward to your theories."

Archie stood there, flabbergasted. Either he now had two kid's with the same delusion on his hands (which was somewhat impossible), or this whole thing was really _real_. He'd have to think about this later. For now, he decided he'd step in before they noticed he'd been listening.

"Kids!" He walked towards them, "I've found you! You need to slow down!"

**Black Out –**

There is a town in Maine, where every storybook character you've ever known is trapped between two worlds.

Only one knows the truth, and only one can break her spell.

**The Heart of the Truest Believer**

"_Don't say goodbye, because saying goodbye means going away, and going away means forgetting."_

J.M. Barrie.

**Black Out –**

"Henry, this is seriously dangerous you know, we've got to get out of here." Archie told the girl, looking at her as she looked down trough the hole in the ground.

"But there's something down there, it could be something!"

"Look at me!" Archie yelled, "Henry, we're trapped underground, in an abandoned mine, and there is no way out, okay?!" Henrietta stared at him, and then looked away, at Peter.

"There... there is some way out, right?"

Peter seemed unsure, and finally said: "I uh... I honestly don't know."

"So what do we do?" Henrietta asked, sounding so incredibly small that Pan felt guilty for not stopping her from going in here in the first place. He wasn't a secret anymore anyway, and had no intention of wiping Henry's memory (now Archie was a different story, he would have to wipe _that_ memory later), so following her instead of just stopping her had been a somewhat stupid move.

"Wait." Archie suddenly said, and for a second Pan thought he had spoken out loud, until he realized what the cricket (well in his mind anyway) was referring to. "Do you guys hear that?"

"It's a dog." Pan shrugged.

"It's Pongo!" Henry yelled, excited. "And if we can hear him, than there must be an opening somewhere!"

The three started following the noise, Pan occasionally sneaking a glance at Henrietta.

She didn't seem disturbed, even though she obviously knew he was a villain (he was probably in her book somewhere, which would be how she knew). She did, however, look back at him once in a while, looking away when she noticed him staring (because he was staring at some point in their walking).

Peter could easily tell he wasn't completely trusted.

"It's loudest over here." Archie said, grabbing a plate from the wall and moving it away.

"What's this?" Henrietta said, stepping back at little to look at their finding.

Pan grinned, "It's an old elevator."

"And I think I can make it work. Let's give it a try, get in kids." Archie said.

As they got in, Archie started spinning a wheel, and after a few seconds Pan joined in to help. Henrietta tried to help, but Pan gestured her away "Don't, you'll cut your hands."

"_You'll_ cut your hands." Henry frowned, but she backed away anyway.

Just as they started going up a little, everything once again began to shake. Henrietta fell against the wall, Archie well to the side and Pan, surprisingly, remained standing, and caught Henrietta before she could hit the ground.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine."

And then the elevator started falling.

**Black Out –**

_**Five years ago**_

A little girl lay in a crib, in the house of the major. Peter Pan frowned as he opened the window of her room, looking at her sleeping form. She seemed to be having a nightmare.

"No... don't... don't die." she whispered, "please."

The poor girl, she probably...

She opened her eyes and shot up, staring at Peter.

"Don't scream!" Peter hissed, putting his hand over her mouth (he frowned, it was sort of filthy), "There is nothing to be afraid of, it was just a dream, go back to sleep."

"Who are you?" she whispered when he removed his hand.

"Someone you won't remember." He told her, "But someone who will protect you, no matter what. So go back to sleep and do not be afraid."

In the morning, she did not remember him. As promised.

**Black Out – **

"I'm really sorry for getting us into this mess, Archie." Henrietta mumbled, sitting down on the floor when the elevator had stopped falling. "This is all my fault."

"It's all right." Archie promised her, "You stood up for what you believe in like I thaught you, I'm proud, and I'm sorry too."

"For what?" Henrietta whispered, "You just stood up for what _you_ believe in."

"I don't really believe you're crazy, Henrietta." Archie promised the young girl, "I just think that you've got certain idea's about life that not everybody... that not everybody understands." he shrugged, "and that's all right."

"How emotional." Pan rolled his eyes, "shouldn't we find a way out of here?"

Henry glared at him, "Don't you get it? We're stuck in an elevator, even deeper underground than before. There _is _no way out. We've failed."

He glared right back: "P... _I_ never fail."

"Well, you did this time. Get used to it." Suddenly, everything started shaking again, and the young girl let out a squeak, grabbing the wall as if it would help anything.

"I refuse to believe that," Pan got down on his knees in front of her to look her in the eye, "Henry, Henry look at me."

She did, and he swore he saw tears. "I never fail. And there is something I'm preparing that still needs to happen. I'm not going to fail at that, which means we'll get out of here."

"You are one smug boy." She told him, still tears in her eyes. However, she did smirk a little: "I like it..." She paused, "And just so you know, I don't think you're_ that_ evil."

Well, he would definitely remove the adult's memories now.

There was some more shaking, and Henrietta closed her eyes. "I think we might die here, this thing is gonna fall."

"In that case..." Archie smiled, "Can I ask you one more time?"

"Ask what?" Henrietta opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Why do you think it's so important that the curse is real?"

Henrietta stared at him for a few seconds, and then at Pan, who smiled, too, knowing better. He knew that it _was_ real, but he was also sort of curious about her answer.

"I... don't know."

"Give it a shot." Archie pushed.

"Well..." Henry shrugged, taking a candy bar out of her bag and breaking it, giving a little to Pan and a little to Archie, "...this can't be all there is."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I think," She seemed to think for a little while, "I think that I just really want to believe that everybody has their happy ending... that I won't be stuck with my mom forever and that I'll be like those girls from Disney movies, finding true love and being... _happy_."

"You're not happy?" Pan asked before he could stop himself.

"Well I don't know..."

"_Archie, Henry?"_

The three looked up, seeing a light. "What's that?" Henrietta wondered.

"Well, obviously it's the rescue team." Pan pointed out.

And it was. Emma smiled down at them: "You guys okay? Uh... who's that?"

"That's Peter, a friend of mine." Henrietta mumbled, "and we're all fine."

"I thought you didn't have any friends?" Emma opened the top of the elevator.

"I... I guess not."

Emma reached down and grabbed the little girl in her arms. "Just... yeah, hang on."

"You got her, is she safe?" Archie asked.

"Yeah, let me just..." Once again, everything started shaking.

Everybody knew that the elevator would fall this time.

"Dr. Hopper, you can use that to latch onto Emma." Pan pointed out, grabbing his walking stick and hanging it on a ring of Emma's belt. "Hold it and you won't fall."

"But what about you?" Henrietta asked, "You... you said you never fail."

"Who are you talking to, Henry?" Emma asked, her eyes suddenly cloudy.

Pan had made her forget, Henrietta realized, Archie, too. They didn't even see him anymore, now.

"I don't." He saluted her. "I'll see you tonight, and _you'll see me_ again, too, someday."

"No, don't die!" Henry yelled, reaching out to him.

"Henry who are you,-"

"Shut _up!_"

"This is probably the wrong time to mention that I kind of started to love you over the years. But that's the one thing I'll make you forget for today." He smiled, "Bye."

"No!"

The elevator fell.

**Black Out –**

Above the ground, nobody could get Henrietta to speak. She was pale and refused to even drink water. When Regina hugged her, she allowed it, and even cried against her shoulder for a whole half hour. Everybody thought it was just the shock of almost dieing.

For two weeks after that, Henrietta had nightmares that she hadn't had since she was very young, in which someone she loved dearly died.

But this time the one dieing had gotten a face.

In her dreams, she even imagined him not having fallen with just a simple bye.

She heard him tell her that he loved her.

And in her dreams, she always told him that she loved him, too.

**Black Out –**


End file.
